Chapter 590: Method

"Outrageous! No law left! No justice left!"

In the large open office of the Military System Revision group, Wu Dacai, his face bright red, shoved a chair crashing to the floor with a loud clatter. Everyone in the room stood up, heads lowered, not daring to say a word.

"A dun householder impersonating a Fort Chief for this long — managing the fort's affairs, reporting to the Household Office, doing business in the Supply Battalion, doing business in the Cavalry Battalion, opening so many shops — and not a single person noticed. You even issued him a rain hat to make. Where is the rain hat?" Wu Dacai pointed at the supply clerk, who had shrunk into a ball. "He ordered it from the Bamboo and Timber Yard. Couldn't you go order from the bamboo and timber merchants yourselves? You had to go through a scabby-headed wretch. Just now you couldn't find Pozidun's account book. Have you found it yet? Where exactly did the silver go? That was allocated by me to buy military supplies. Where is it!"

The clerk, trembling all over, said, "Still... still haven't found it."

The clerk could not continue, merely shaking like a winnowing sieve. Wu Dacai instinctively moved to kick him, then suddenly remembered that leg was lame and hastily stopped — to onlookers, it looked like an odd twitch. Fortunately, everyone in the room had their heads down, so few saw it.

"Where do we get the rain hats made now? Let me tell you — if those rain hats aren't issued before we march, I'll hand you over to the Pacification Squad. Good thing you from the Pacification Squad are here too. What does Military Law say?" Wu Dacai said furiously. "I will report this matter to the Central Army Secretariat. Not one person involved will escape. All will be dealt with under military law. Pacification Squad, look up the Military Law immediately. Everything must be investigated and punished according to Military Law!"

The supply clerk immediately broke down crying on the floor. No one in the large open office dared speak.

Seeing him cry, Wu Dacai's anger finally eased a little. Leaning on his cane, he returned to his own Direct Office. Only after sitting down in his seat did he yank open his collar and curse bitterly, "Angry enough to kill me. I exhaust myself here drilling troops, and I'm still not as good as some scabby wretch. I let you eat eight dishes, four of them meat dishes, you — I'll watch you eat!"

After cursing a few lines, Wu Dacai shouted toward the outside in anger, "Tang Sheng, where's my water! The people outside anger me, and you want to anger me too, is that it!"

Tang Sheng answered from outside. A moment later, Cao Shuban entered first, with Tang Sheng following behind, carrying a bowl of hot water.

Cao Shuban said to him, "Tang Sheng, go add some sugar."

Tang Sheng tilted his head and glanced at Wu Dacai. The Anqing Battalion did have sugar in the army, but it was only supplied during the most intense training periods, or carried along on military expeditions — ordinarily it was not provided.

On normal days, when the Reform Group personnel wanted some, Wu Dacai forbade it in the name of frugality, only giving some during the New Year festival. Even Wu Dacai himself did not take any — at least, that was how it appeared in front of others.

This time, however, Wu Dacai did not object. Tang Sheng then turned and went out again to find sugar.

Cao Shuban came to Wu Dacai's side. "Sir, calm your anger. We've roughly figured it out. This Pozidun caused trouble many times, and the Household Office was dissatisfied with the woman managing it. They only appointed her as Deputy Fort Chief to handle affairs. But the Household Office had no woman they could send, so the Fort Chief position remained vacant. That's how the scabby wretch exploited the opening. On top of that, the wretch was especially cunning. First he deceived that Deputy Fort Chief woman. Knowing the Household Office was aware of his background, he made a point of having that woman deal with them. Everywhere else, he went himself. The people below are always careless in handling matters. When someone showed up and claimed to be the Fort Chief, who would suspect it was fake? So no one ever verified it. It is indeed a failure of those below to do their jobs properly. This subordinate will strictly supervise them going forward."

At that moment, Tang Sheng brought the water in. Cao Shuban took the bowl first and carefully placed it in front of Wu Dacai. After Wu Dacai drank two mouthfuls of the sugared water, his anger seemed to subside a little.

Cao Shuban was about to continue speaking when Tang Sheng, standing to the side, said, "I hear that rain hat money won't be easy to recover. Just now, the man who made the rain hats delivered another hundred, saying the woman keeping the accounts only paid him silver for five hundred hats. For the remaining one thousand five hundred owed, the materials weren't even prepared. That account-keeping woman can't be found either. Some of the women say she took the silver and ran. I'm afraid another allocation will have to be made."

Wu Dacai panted a few breaths and said angrily, "Took the silver and ran too. Is there a single decent person in this Pozidun? She's a woman from out of town — where could she run to!"

Seeing Wu Dacai's anger rising again, Cao Shuban hastily spoke before Tang Sheng could. "The Household Office is pursuing her. It's said the account-keeper is a female criminal. The Household Office had her placed under watch and control at Pozidun. After Tan Erlin arrived at the fort, the two likely had an illicit affair, so he let her keep the accounts. It's not just the rain hat money — all the silver from the fort's various business earnings these past two months, the wages owed for construction, rouge and cosmetic money, tea, grain, bean, and rice money, and the fort's labor and food silver were all with her. They say this morning she even collected a sum and exchanged it for Banknotes. When we were questioning Tan Laizi, someone saw that woman take her child and leave home. After that, no one saw her again."

Wu Dacai said blankly, "A female criminal keeping accounts, and an illicit affair too?"

"Liu Shensi's woman. She also brought a child."

Wu Dacai thought back for a moment, then nodded. Liu Shensi's matter had been circulated among the Anqing Battalion's senior ranks. It was not long ago — a major incident at the Newspaper Office. He still had an impression of it, but he had never imagined it could be connected to Tan Laizi.

"Even a female criminal he went after. Shameless to this degree. Is there any woman he wouldn't go after?" Wu Dacai looked left and right, momentarily at a loss for words. Only after a long while did he say, "What else did he do?"

"Resold forage for profit. Sold the battalion's dried forage to nearby food stalls, inns, and monasteries that serve travelers — especially the monasteries. After they took his forage, pilgrims from afar were all sent to stay at his place." Cao Shuban coughed once and said, "Besides the Dark Door, food stalls, inns, gambling dens, and general goods, he also opened a money shop. He said there are many Banknotes here in Shipai, and small businesses normally lack copper coins. He bought copper coins from Anqing and exchanged them for Banknotes at his money shop, making a profit on the price spread. Also, a dock by the river was half-built, intended for selling fodder beans for livestock this summer. The original shacks at the dock site were torn down to open a rice and bean market. He'd already hired several laborers to collect brokerage fees. Also..."

"Enough." Wu Dacai leaned wearily against the back of his chair and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "I don't want to hear any more."

Wu Dacai slumped over the desk for a moment, then suddenly slammed the table with a bang. "I don't care about that female criminal. But Tan Laizi wreaked havoc at Pozidun, causing a delay in military supplies. I will punish him under Military Law! Draft the document immediately. I will personally report to Lord Pang. Outrageous!"

"Sir, please calm your anger first. This subordinate has a humble opinion. All the ready cash in the fort has vanished. Those women have already found out and are clamoring for their silver. Today, none of the shops outside are doing business. Rumors are already spreading in Shipai Town. Right now, you, sir, are the one overseeing all matters in Shipai, great and small. This was originally the Household Office's fault. If it causes unrest in the Shipai area, it will instead become your fault. This humble one thinks the most urgent thing now is to calm the market."

Cao Shuban picked up the bowl of sugared water from the desk. Wu Dacai took it and drank a mouthful, then nodded slightly. Cao Shuban continued, "Besides, those businesses in Pozidun are all profitable ventures, and they've all begun to take shape now. This is exactly the right moment to think of a way to turn this bad situation into a good one."

Wu Dacai hesitated a moment, looking at him. "How do we turn it into a good one?"

"Pozidun is under the Household Office's jurisdiction. That a fake Fort Chief managed affairs for so long shows the Household Office's supervision is utterly ineffective. The Household Office is absolutely in the wrong. As long as you, sir, file a complaint, once it reaches the Document Receiving Office and becomes known to all, that man He County Yamen — who will blow any pretext out of proportion — will certainly implicate the Household Office and drag many people down. But looking at it another way, it's just a Pozidun where they dry forage. Even within the yamen, few people even know it exists. If you, sir, don't escalate it, it's a minor matter."

Wu Dacai said nothing, but his body leaned back against the chair. He appeared to be seriously considering Cao Shuban's words.

"Second, it involves the Supply Battalion. The rain hat matter doesn't involve much money, but as long as it's military supplies, reporting it to the Central Army Secretariat makes it a matter of the utmost gravity. The Supply Battalion won't escape either. You, sir, manage affairs in the Reform Group, but ultimately what you manage are the Infantry Firearms Battalion and the Martial Academy. Whether it's the Household Office or the Supply Battalion, both are offices you need to rely on."

Wu Dacai suddenly looked up and stared at Cao Shuban coldly. "Someone from the Household Office approached you?"

"They did." Cao Shuban showed not the slightest panic. In a steady tone, he said, "It was Wang Dianli of the Household Office, from within the Reform Group. But this subordinate did not agree to anything for them, and has no selfish motives. I was only thinking about how this matter could be handled to your greatest advantage, sir. I have already devised a method. But whether to proceed or not still awaits your decision, sir."

Wu Dacai stared at Cao Shuban for a long moment, then finally said, "What method? Let's hear it."

"The matter of the Pozidun land parcel and the matter of this fake Fort Chief — handle them together." Cao Shuban leaned closer. "That piece of land at Pozidun was never explicitly said to belong to the Household Office. But since the Household Office manages Pozidun, they could also just claim the land is theirs. If they refuse to give it up, the Martial Academy can hardly go and seize it. If you report the Household Office to the Central Army Secretariat, their people will be punished, perhaps lose their official posts. These Old Hands will bear a grudge against you, sir. But the new people who come in won't remember your kindness — they'll just treat it as their own luck arriving. The land parcel matter still won't be resolved. But if you, sir, are willing to let the matter rest and give these Old Hands a break, the Old Hands will remember your kindness. They can continue managing affairs, and the shops at Pozidun will be easy to deal with."

Wu Dacai frowned. "Liu Shensi's woman ran away. It's impossible not to report this to Lord Pang. Even if I don't report it, someone will."

"Lord Pang is busy with many matters. If she can be caught, the Household Office can report that the female criminal fled alone and has been recaptured. That would be a trivial minor matter. Mr. Yu would glance at it once and send it to the clerks for Local Retention."

"What ability does the Household Office have to catch that female criminal and bring her back?"

"Someone saw the female criminal this morning, which shows she left in a hurry. She likely wasn't prepared and may not have anyone to receive her. The Household Office is preparing to ask Ruan Jin for help. This subordinate believes she can most likely be caught."

Wu Dacai narrowed his eyes in thought, then shook his head. "This is the same principle as fighting a battle. She dared to embezzle the payment for one thousand five hundred rain hats — that means she had long planned to flee. It's not that she was unprepared; on the contrary, she had been preparing for a long time. I don't think the Household Office will necessarily catch her."

"Even if the female criminal isn't caught, this matter is still the Household Office's own affair. It has nothing to do with you, sir. If you don't report it upward, it won't implicate us here. This subordinate thinks we should secure the land parcel first. If that woman really has run off, at worst we just return the land parcel to them..."

The anger on Wu Dacai's face gradually dissipated. He slapped the table. "Return what? Land taken for the Martial Academy's use is taken. I don't care whether they catch the female criminal or not. Tomorrow, have that Pozidun land parcel handed over. Within tomorrow, quell the matter. No more disturbances at Pozidun... Also, have the Household Office pay to make up the rain hats and deliver them to the battalion within five days. If any one of these three tasks is lacking, I will report to the Central Army Secretariat."

Cao Shuban immediately said, "In a moment, when this subordinate goes out, I will first say that you, sir, have ordered an official document drafted within the group to report to the Document Receiving Office. The people from the Household Office and Supply Battalion are outside. They will naturally come to this subordinate to think of a way. This subordinate will then negotiate with them."

Wu Dacai slowly nodded. After considering for another moment, he said, "I can let everyone else off. But not this Tan Erlin. Otherwise, who knows how many good things he'll ruin. You find a good method."

"Sir, this subordinate has already thought of a method. It neither blows the matter up nor lets this scabby wretch off." Cao Shuban's mouth was dry from talking; he couldn't help licking his lips with his tongue. "Right now, the account-keeper has run off, and the silver she made off with all belongs to those women. The scabby wretch and that Account Office woman were in cahoots. These women, having their silver swept away, are bound to be both furious and desperate. What's more, they were all slept with by this scabby wretch for nothing. In all the world, no one hates the scabby wretch more than they do. They will certainly want to fight him to the death. Just have the Household Office keep him at Pozidun. This way, the matter stays within the Household Office, and there is absolutely no way this scabby wretch will have an easy time. Let him be beaten by a pack of women every day — that will be the best way to vent your anger, sir."

Wu Dacai thought seriously, the muscles on his face twitching from time to time. After a long while, he finally nodded. "Do it that way."